53 more Cambodian beggars arrested, deported

Pattaya police rounded up 53 Cambodians alleged to be working illegally in Thailand as beggars.

Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security and police officials announced the arrest of the six Khmer men, 22 women and 25 children April 23. The children, used by women to elicit sympathy from potential donors, ranged in age from 1 month to 1 year old.

Police officials rounded up 53 Cambodians alleged to be working illegally in Thailand as beggars.

Itthiphol alleged the accused beggars were connected to a larger human-trafficking ring run by both Thais and Cambodians. Ministry representative Jaree Sawaneeya agreed, saying there would have been no other way for many of those apprehended to enter the kingdom as some where missing limbs while others had recently before been arrested and deported.

All the Cambodians will again be deported in the latest round of the cat-and-mouse game police officials have been playing with traffickers.

The unspeakable cruelty is that these poor people are sometimes beaten if they fail to beg enough money in a given day. Their “handlers” place them one atop another living in squalor and keep them on the streets at all hours. Don’t just deport them, pay them to report the locations and persons who are misusing them. Remember these people are also victims.